Sodium, Migraines, and Fitness

1. Stay Hydrated and Prevent a Migraine:

A study concluded that one of the most prominent migraine triggers is dehydration. Water is the key to solving dehydration and sodium is the key to staying hydrated.

“Water deprivation and dehydration can lead to the development of headache.90 Although this observation is largely unexplored in the medical literature, some observational studies indicate that water deprivation, in addition to impairing concentration and increasing irritability, can serve as a trigger for migraine and also prolong migraine”

“Thus, people who have been sweating copiously prefer drinks that are relatively rich in Na+ salts rather than pure water. As previously mentioned, it is always important to supplement drinks with additional salt when excessive sweating is experienced.” (read here)

3. More Sodium equals Less Migraines:

Migraines are caused by electrolyte imbalance because of an overstimulated brain. No two migraines are the same, everyone suffers different symptoms, so it is vital to understand your body and the signs that trigger a migraine. Read more on migraines and electrolyte homeostasis here.

“This study is the first evidence of an inverse relationship between migraine and dietary sodium intake. These results are consistent with altered sodium homeostasis in migraine and our hypothesis that dietary sodium may affect brain extracellular fluid sodium concentrations and neuronal excitability.” (read here)

4. Stress Triggers Migraines but Sodium Reduces Stress:

“Stress was cited as the overall most common migraine precipitating factor, which was identified as a trigger factor by 58 % of 7187 migraineurs.” (read here)

Study from the University of Cincinnati on Sodium Reducing Stress:

“elevated levels of sodium blunt the body's natural responses to stress by inhibiting stress hormones that would otherwise be activated in stressful situations.” (read here)

Do Your Own Research

There are countless studies and articles to find online which are backed by scientific processes. Though, with so many marketed pseudoscientific products it will take critical thinking skills and some good hearty research to avoid the rift-raft.